Only In Dreams
by KoloheSanji
Summary: WARNING: AHOY! FOUL LANGUAGE AHEAD! Sanji and Zoro find themselves alone and lost in a strange land with buildings that scrape the sky, and starless heavens. What will become of the duo? And how do they get home? Angst, drama, humor...a bit of everything.


**Author's note:** I read the reviews for _Breathing Lessons_. Thank you for all the wonderful words! Thank you!!! This story is **dedicated to all of you!!!** (**Especially to HogwartShinobi, littlepinkangel, Eileen-san, Sacred Sakura, Norikio Na No Da **and** Aniu wolf 92693!!!** Thank you for the inspirational reviews!!!) Now, I'm not really into writing yaoi. HOWEVER, I really believe that readers get out of a story what they put into it. That's the beauty of imagination and interpretation! So, I'm hoping that everyone will get out of my stories what they want. And, that it will be enjoyable to everyone! Hope you have fun reading this!

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"Where are we?"

"I don't know."

"Where are your katanas?"

"Again...I don't know."

"What about Luffy?"

"I. Don't. Know."

"And Nami-swan? What about the women? What about Robin...?"

"Will you shut up, Ero-Kokku? Nami and Robin can take care of themselves. So can Luffy, Ussop, AND Chopper."

Both men continued to walk up the hard, concrete sidewalk of the strange land where buildings seemed to scrape the sky, and streets seemed to roll far into the horizon.

"Yo, Green Dude! Cool hair!" A man with foot-long red spiked hair called to the two as they walked by.

"Who...'WHAT' was that?" Asked the blonde.

"Don't know. Don't care." Quipped the green-haired man. "Just keep walking."

"Marimo, it's getting dark. Should we find a place to..."

"They don't take belli here, Kuso-Kokku."

"What?!"

"Are you deaf, Dartboard-Eyebrow? They. Don't. Take. Belli. Here. And you keep making fun of my intelligence...Baka!"

"Then what..."

"I don't know. Just keep walking."

"How about over there?" Asked the blonde, pointing towards an odd, fenced-off patch of property.

Seeing no other alternative, the green-haired man answered the only way he could. "It will do."

Climbing over the metal fence, the two men found a small spot in the unkempt vacant lot. Hidden away from the foot-traffic of the sidewalk, by the tall, waist-high grass, the men laid down and tried to keep warm.

"We'll sleep here until morning, then try and find a way to get back to..." Said Zoro, as he searched for the words to describe their situation.

"Our time?..." Replied Sanji with a dejected sigh.

"Our ship." Concluded Zoro.

"It's cold here, what about a fire."

"Are you stupid? Do you want to draw attention to us? Just go to sleep. And, don't wander off!"

Sanji watched as the swordsman curled up on a small patch of bare earth and fell asleep. Staring up at the hazy sky above, with no bright stars to comfort him, the cook stood up and walked back towards the fence. Still partially hidden by the tall grass around him, Sanji looked out at the brightly illuminated city below, and lit a cigarette.

"There's no place like our home," muttered the blonde man as he sat down, wrapping his arms around himself against the cold chilly air. "And this is definitely NOT our home..."

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"Whoa! What do we have here? A well dressed bum?"

The blonde-haired cook faintly heard a voice talking somewhere above him.

"Probably stole it from someone..."

"Well, then he won't mind if we steal it from him."

Stars seemed to explode around him as Sanji felt something hard slam into the side of his head.

"Oi!" Shouted the cook as his eyes opened and tried to focus on the figures surrounding him. "What the hell is--?!"

"Get him!" Hissed a voice.

Punches and kicks seemed to rain down from all directions as Sanji tried his best to curl up and protect himself against the blows.

"Damn," thought the cook as he felt himself succumbing to the pain tearing through his body. "I've taken on sea monsters, marines and even gods! But, to be beaten like a paper party favor by a bunch of cowards...how embarrassing!"

Trying to pull his body up into a handstand, his attempt was greeted by a crowbar striking and breaking his right arm.

Sanji let out a scream of pain as he collapsed back to the ground.

As another blow slammed into the back of his head, the blonde's last conscious thought was, "Where is that stupid swordsman when I really need him?"

Then, nothing...

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Warmth on his face, birds singing in the distance...and a moan from Sanji in the distance?

Zoro's eyes flew open as he quickly sat up and looked around for his nakama. Greeted only by the sight of the grass surrounding him, Zoro stood up, eyes searching for the young blonde.

"Oi, Cook!" Called the green-haired man. "Oi!"

No answer.

Zoro listened closer. Barely audible to his ears was the sound of ragged breathing coming from somewhere in the brush ahead of him.

Moving forwards, the swordsman almost found himself stumbling over the naked, bloodied mess that was barely identifiable as Sanji.

"Shit..." Muttered Zoro as he kneeled next to his crewmate. "Ero-Kokku, what happened?"

Attempting to open either of his blackened, swollen eyes, Sanji could only moan, "...Z-...Zoro..."

Sanji cried out in pain as Zoro tried to lift up the blonde into a sitting position.

"...Zo-ro..." Coughed out Sanji as blood seemed to trickle out of the side of his mouth.

"It's going to be okay," soothed Zoro as he noticed the odd angle that the cook's arm seemed to be bent. "It's going to be okay..."

"...Zo...ro..." Sanji continued to mutter as his breathing became even more labored. Tears seemed to well up in his eyes, as if he were realizing that for the first time, that he may not be going home.

Not allowing tears to make any appearance on his face, even though his heart was breaking. The green-haired swordsman leaned closer towards his dying friend.

With a final act of strength, the blonde cook leaned in to give his nakama a kiss good-bye...

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"Any closer, Dartboard Brow," seethed a deep voice in the blackness, "and I'll throw your ass overboard!!!"

Eyes slowly fluttering open, Sanji came face to face with a very angry green-haired man, whose arm the blonde had been using as a pillow.

Confused, but happy to be home on the Going Merry, the young cook began to realize that everything he had seen, the strange land, the starless sky, the crazy people...it had all been a bad dream.

"I'm home..." Sighed the relieved Sanji. Then, after a moment, the cook glanced back into the red and angry face of Zoro.

"Get off of me..."

"What?..."

"GET OFF OF ME!!!" Shouted Zoro as he yanked his arm back, allowing Sanji's head to hit the wooden planks of the floor.

"Itai!" Yelled Sanji, rubbing the lump that was undoubtedly forming where his head met the wood. "What the hell is your problem, Marimo!"

It was only at that moment that Sanji realized that Luffy, Ussop and Chopper were also in the room, trying to control their laughing and giggling.

"Oi! What are you laughing at?!" Asked Sanji.

"Oh, Z-Zoro!" Moaned Ussop. "...Zo-ro..."

Chopper and Luffy burst out laughing at Ussop's impersonation of Sanji.

Zoro's face turned a deeper shade of red...to the point that it almost looked purple. "I'm going to kill you, Long Nose." Came the very calm, almost hissed statement from Zoro.

Ussop, realizing that his life was now in mortal danger, screeched and ran out of the room. While Chopper and Luffy also quickly side-stepped their way out, following the sniper.

The blonde's worried eyes slowly shifted from the empty doorway back towards the pissed-off swordsman.

"It's not what you think." Stated Sanji, not wanting to move, lest he draw down the full wrath of the green-haired man, who was very much in possession of all three of his swords.

Silence.

Hoping that he was making the right move, Sanji started to crab walk backwards out of the range of the swordsman.

"Why did you try and kiss me?" Growled Zoro.

Taken aback by the unexpected question, Sanji answered, "Believe me, you're the LAST person on earth that I would want to kiss."

"Then you WANTED to kiss me?..."

"Yes...I mean, NO...I mean...I dreamt I was DYING!"

"And you wanted to kiss ME..."

"I was saying goodbye."

"And you wanted to KISS me..."

Giving up trying to explain himself, the blonde-haired cook just sat and stared at the green-haired swordsman, who did not give a hint to what he may have been thinking.

Suddenly, without warning, Zoro's mouth pulled up into a psychotic grin.

Sanji tensed up and got ready to lash out with his feet, if he needed to.

Then loud, raucous, uncontrollable laughter seemed to pour out from the normally stone faced man.

Relief flooded Sanji, as he realized that Zoro was NOT going to attempt to kill him. However, relief quickly turned to anger as the swordsman gave no sign of stopping.

"Oi! It's not funny, Marimo!" Hissed Sanji, just before he kicked out at Zoro, knocking the man on his ass.

Still continuing to laugh, the swordsman simply moved back out of the reach of the cook's long legs.

Angry at being the butt of some bizarre unknown joke, Sanji got up and started to storm out of the room. Still trying to think of something to say, the blonde stopped in the doorway. Turning back towards the swordsman, the cook opened his mouth. However, still unable to find any verbal retort, Sanji could only turn back and start to walk away.

"By the way, Ero-Kokku," stated Zoro as he stood up and started to walk towards the wordless blonde, "Next time, when I say don't wander off...I mean, DON'T WANDER OFF!!!"

Mouth agape, Sanji only stood and stared as the swordsman walked past him and into his line of vision.

Then, without a word, Zoro grabbed the stunned cook and kissed him on the forehead.

"Now, you don't need to kiss me when you get your stupid, naked ass killed." Laughed Zoro as he walked off.

Sanji could only watch the swordsman leave, mind blank and mouth still opened.

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**Author's Note:** Okay, everyone, CALM DOWN!!! The whole 'kiss' thing actually is NOT a yaoi thing. It is actually inspired by what, on most accounts, was Admiral Horatio Nelson's last words ("Kiss me, Hardy...") before he died on the HMS Victory. It was about respect and friendship...or that's the way it was explained to me. Ja ne!


End file.
